


A Striking Couple

by sesquipedal_gil



Category: Eureka
Genre: Episode: S02E03 Unpredictable, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-13
Updated: 2013-06-13
Packaged: 2017-12-14 20:13:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/840921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sesquipedal_gil/pseuds/sesquipedal_gil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things could have gone differently in the Cafe when Abby came by for a surprise visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Striking Couple

**Author's Note:**

> I put this up on livejournal last year, but I have since deleted the journal and all entries made using it.
> 
> Enjoy :)

They were having the weirdest weather ever. Joe was pissed about her lack of promotion. Zoe was pissed off, although to be fair that one was ok, she is supposed to be angry. He had put his foot in his mouth and practically called Allison old just a few minutes ago. Just another day in Eureka. Well, it was until Abby showed up! Now it was hell in Eureka. Did he mention that Eureka has a spa? He’s been living in this crazy town for two years and he didn’t know there was a freaking spa! And now he was trying to pass off Eureka’s sudden weather anomalies as normal and perfectly scientifically explainable while walking, more like herding really, Abby from the station to Café Diem where they were going to grab something to eat. Not as easy as it sounds, especially not for a man as verbose as Jack  Carter!!

After Vincent extolled Abby’s virtues and his shortcoming, all for truffle oil he really didn’t get what was the big deal, so what if he’d asked for ketchup, it made everything taste better! He waited for Vincent to leave before beginning.

“Abby, listen, we need to talk…” Jack started only to be interrupted by her exclamation and expression of utter awe.

“Oh look at those two…wow!” At this, Jack turned around only to see Stark and Allison walking in. Perfect a reunion of the divorced!

“Oh now I’m just going to be sick!” Jack muttered. If Abby’s unexpected arrival wasn’t enough

“Hey! What a surprise!” Stark’s voice came grating on his nerves

“I hate surprises” Jack muttered under his breath. It wasn’t enough that Abby had decided to “surprise” him with a visit to Eureka today, but now Stark and Allison were in Cafe Diem at the same time and Stark had adequately termed this happenstance a “surprise”. And people wonder why he hated surprises!

“Meeting, huh?” Jack fired at Allison in a playful yet slightly accusing manner when the two arrived at their table.

“Brunettes, huh?” Allison retorted, but it didn’t seem to register to either Abby or Stark.

“I was just telling Jack what a striking couple you…” Abby began to say addressing Stark but seemed to trail off as her eyes turned to Allison only to falter at the sight that met her eyes and inadequately finish her sentence “…are.”

Stark turned to see what had the woman in front of him so shocked, she didn’t seem like the type to shock easily and he had to admit, even though the company she keeps is well below par, yes he means Carter, she had picked up on the fact that he and Allie make a perfect couple. In his books, the woman was undeniably keen. When he turned he saw land a peck on Carter’s lips and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The poor woman! He still found the idea of those two scarring, let alone the sight of his Allie kissing that imbecile Carter, and although it mystified him he couldn’t deny that the idiot seemed to make her happy. By the look on her face, Carter’s companion was definitely not expecting this turn of events. Turning to Carter, who was smiling softly at Allison as she leaned against his chair, a panicked expression flashed on his face and he turned to face his companion and seemed to visibly deflate at finding both her staring at him. Stark couldn’t help but find this situation interesting, Carter seemed very uncomfortable with the current situation, maybe watching a tender moment between his ex-wife and the town’s idiot was worth it after all.

Stark was a patient man, but at that moment all he wanted to do was cause Carter more discomfort and he really was curious at who his companion was. Carter was not the type to date, nor had he exhibited any interest in women other than Allison. The man was smitten, so finding him having breakfast with a woman who wasn’t Allison was a surprise. So in an action very unlike himself, Stark turned towards the enigma seated at the table facing.

“And you are?” he asked, “excuse my brashness, but Carter is not often seen in the company of women he doesn’t work with.” His words seemed to trigger a reaction in the other three. Carter looked up at him, his eyes narrowed. Allie was looking between Jack and the woman seeming confused, and the woman in question seemed startled.

Once she got over her surprise, Abby answered, momentarily forgetting what she had just witnessed: “I’m Dr Abby Carter, I’m Jack’s evil ex-wife. And you are?”

The surprise on Allie’s face told Stark that she hadn’t been expecting that, Carter’s closed eyed told him that he was in a far worse state then he was before Stark had opened his mouth. He liked Carter’s ex-wife already.

“I’m Dr Nathan Stark. I’m Allison’s evil ex-husband” He answered with a charming smile which had her laughing.

“Except in his case it’s actually true!” Jack couldn’t help but mutter only to receive an admonishing glare from Allie as a result.

Hearing him mutter, the other two turned to face him an Allison, and Abby’s eyes zeroed on Allison.

“I’m guessing you would be Allison?” she remarked, making it sound like a question but one she already knew the answer for and simply asked for confirmation.

“Yes, I’m Dr Allison Blake” Allison answered, neither her face nor demeanour reflecting the conflicting emotions she was experiencing. Why hadn’t Jack told her that his ex-wife was coming? Why _was_ his ex-wife here to begin with?!

“Wow, all these doctors; your worst nightmare Jack. He used to hate it when I dragged him around to my Alumni functions; he used to call it Death by Dull” she said

“He is very clever.” Stark couldn’t help but quip.

“So Dr Carter, are you staying at the house?” He couldn’t help but add. He had to fuel the fire!

“Yes.”, “No!” came the two opposing responses, the former from the good doctor and the latter from the bumbling sheriff.

“We…we, we’re setting her up at Beverley’s” was Carter’s fumbling response which was accompanied by a beseeching look he threw at Allison.

“Well then, I guess I will see you at Zoe’s party.” Allison said decisively, “I hear there’ll be dancing.” She continued laughingly, her eyes dancing as she glanced at Jack. Her momentary happiness was diminished by Abby’s next words.

“Jack and I used to have so much dancing. Remember that time in Cabo when we won the Macarena contest?” Abby laughingly and guilelessly interjected.

Oh the look on his face, Stark couldn’t help but think. It was quite obvious that the ex-wife did not mean it the way it sounded, as a way to drive home that she and Carter had a history, but the emotions running on both Allison and Carter’s faces were priceless. He could just see Allison trying to keep her face devoid of emotions as she begged off claiming the need to get back to work.

Jack knew he was in for a hell of a reckoning later. He hadn’t had the chance to explain to Allie that he had been just as unpleasantly surprised at the sight of his ex-wife as she had been at finding out who his breakfast companion was. That could wait. He had to figure out how to get rid of Allie and keep her from taking his daughter first. Hopefully, nothing too out of the ordinary would happen today. Then again, this was Eureka, out of the ordinary was perfectly ordinary here.


End file.
